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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Vice Chair James Comer (KY-01), Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, led 36 Western Caucus Members and Oversight Republicans in sending letters to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan regarding the Biden Administration’s recent re... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) hosted a Congressional Western Caucus Species Week forum titled, “A Roadmap for Recovery.” The forum featured Western Caucus Members and experts from across the United States who highlighted the importance of modernizing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in order to support effective species recovery. “What Western Caucus Members understan... Read More »

BRANDED: Minnesota is the model for gray wolf management By Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08) Western Caucus Members are highlighting the need to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) this week to empower those that know best, including states, private landowners, and job creators, to protect wildlife and live our way of life without the intrusion of faraway bureaucrats. Managing gray wolf population... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chair Yvette Herrell (NM-02), and Reps. August Pfluger (TX-11) and Tracey Mann (KS-01) recently hosted a Congressional Western Caucus Species Week virtual forum titled, “ESA Solutions: The Case of the Lesser Prairie Chicken.” The forum featured local leaders from New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas who discussed the ongoing state and local species c... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s failure to fulfill the commitment made under oath by Secretary Deb Haaland to release a proposed plan for the National Offshore Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by June 30: “Just six weeks ago, Secretary Haa... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold limits on EPA’s authority and reaffirm Congress’ Article 1 power: “Today’s decision is a win for rural America. The Court rightfully ruled that it is up to lawmakers – those of us who represent the American p... Read More »

Reject WOTUS expansion to ensure affordable, reliable housing By Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) When you hear “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, it’s likely that your mind immediately shifts to the impacts this regulation has on America’s agriculture industry. As a farmer, it’s on my mind constantly. WOTUS and an overbearing Clean Water Act have the potential to destroy the livelihoods of farmers... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04) led 25 Western Caucus and House Natural Resources Members in sending a letter to U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Randy Moore urging more active management of federal forests in order to prevent catastrophic wildfires and to demand information surrounding the Biden Administration’s 90-day review of presc... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced a final rule to rescind the regulatory definition of “habitat” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), an action that will result in inflated, unscientific critical habitat designations and infringement on personal pro... Read More »

House wildlife recovery bill is not the bipartisan solution Americans deserve By Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) Last week, the House voted on the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), a bill that Members on both sides of the aisle should have been able to wholeheartedly support. Unfortunately, while the bill is well-intentioned, House Democrats went about it the wrong way. Instead of putting for... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act to secure a domestic supply of critical minerals. The bipartisan legislation is also supported by Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15). The bill strikes the “non-fuel” requirement from the critical minerals definition to allow f... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) led Members of the Congressional Western Caucus on an energy field tour through Central Washington, hosted by the Western Caucus Foundation. Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04) and Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Matt Rosendale (MT-AL) joined to learn about the region’s all-of-the-above energy portfolio and... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, May 20, Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06) welcomed Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) to eastern Ohio for a Congressional Western Caucus field tour. “I was honored to host Reps. Dan Newhouse and Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Eastern Ohio,” said Rep. Johnson. “We met with energy producers and employees to learn how we can help Americans who a... Read More »

Severe drought threatens America's farmers & food supply By Rep. David Valadao (CA-21) I’m proud to represent the farmers that feed the world. With less than one percent of our country’s farmland, the Central Valley supplies a quarter of our Nation’s food. Our well-deserved reputation as America’s breadbasket comes from the help of nature, and a whole lot of hard work and skill from our farmers, r... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On May 11, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the cancellation of offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Vice Chairs of the Congressional Western Caucus blasted the decision, which will severely impact domestic energy development at a time when U.S. gas prices are at an all-time high: “On President Biden’s first day in office he launched his assault on... Read More »